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Updated: Oct 12, 2025
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
A pilot analysis of headache disorders in breast cancer patients
Rita De Sanctis1,2, Alessandro Viganò3, Sebastiano Pindilli2
1Medical Oncology and Hematology Unit, IRCCS - Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089, Milan, Italy.
Introduction:
The interaction between breast cancer and migraine is complex and not fully elucidated. Large epidemiological studies point towards a beneficial effect of migraines on breast cancer (BC). We aimed to investigate the BC-migraine relationship, with strict data checks and clinical evaluations of both BC and common headache forms.
Methods:
Consecutive BC patients were evaluated with the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Clinical data on the BC subtypes and treatments were collected. Parametric and nonparametric statistics were used according to data distributions.
Results:
Fifty patients were recruited. The mean age was 53.5 ± 12.5 years; 42% were postmenopausal, 52% were premenopausal, and 6% were peri-menopausal. Eleven patients were diagnosed as luminal A, nine as luminal B, 24 as HER2-positive (HER2 +), six as triple-negative BC. Thirty-eight (76%) patients had hormone receptor-positive disease. Ninety-two percent received chemotherapy, 66% received endocrine therapy, and 52% received radiotherapy. Nine out of 50 reported a worsening of headache after systemic treatment. Migraine was diagnosed in 29 patients (18 with menstrual migraine), tension-type headache (TTH) in nine, and no headache in 12. Patients with migraine were younger (48.4 ± 10.7 vs. 60.5 ± 12; p < 0.01). Patients with migraine and TTH had a higher chance of having a HER2 + BC (p < 0.05). Active migraine was associated with a higher expression of estrogen receptors (p = 0.04).
Conclusions:
Patients with active migraine had higher estrogen receptor expression, while migraine and TTH patients mainly had HER2 + BC. This association was not known earlier and could be helpful to understand deeper the relationship between BC and headache.
